Running board and step for trucks



Jan. 9, 1951 J. D. Russ ET AL RUNNING BOARD AND STEP FOR TRUCKS Filed Dec. 22, 1947 Fig. I.

John D. Russ 3 Leslie J. Spruill INV EN TORS Patented Jan. 9, 19 51 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUNNING BOARD AND STEPFOR TRUCKS John D. Russ and Leslie J. Spruill, Norfolk, Va.

Application December 22, 1947, SerialNo; 79-33% 2 Claims. (01. 280-463) I The present invention relates to improvements in running boards for trucks and has reference in particular to a construction wherein practical step means is provided, whereby to provide a structural adaptation which is particularly satisfactory for use on so-called bottlers trucks.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a simple, practical and highly useful one-piece running board which embodies steps which are so arranged that they aid drivers and their assistants in ascending and descending in a manner to expedite bottle-loading and unloading requirements by way of the customarily accessible long sides of the truck body.

In carrying out the preferred embodiments of the invention, we provide a one-piece metal or equivalent running board construction which is characterized by a central mudguard cocperabl with the adjacent rear wheel and which further embodies upper and lower horizontal steps and an adjoining web or riser between said steps.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a racktype bottlers truck embodying, on the visible long side, a running board constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse or cross sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of said novel running board.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figure 2, it will be seen that one of the frame or chassis irons is denoted by the numeral 5 and this, by way of a brace 6, is connected with a depending skirt portion 7 of the floor construction 8. As seen in Figure 3, the improved combination step and running board construction is a one-piece structure and is characterized by forward and rear half-portions, these being denoted and distinguished by the numerals 9 and I0, respectively. The two sections are divided, as it were, by a median arched portion l I which constitutes a mudguard. The forward section 9 has flanges I2 and 13 whereby it is suitably connected with the framework which makes up the rack portion I8 of the bottlers truck. Each portion 9 and H) is the same in construction. and

the description of one will suflice for both. To this end, the running board or lower step, which is elongated and horizontal, is denoted by the numeral [4 and has adepending rim or skirt 15. Rising from the inner longitudinal edge is an outwardly inclined riser or web portion 15 which is connected with a horizontal top portion It. The top portion is a step. As a matter of fact, one might consider both I4 and ll as horizontal longitudinally elongated steps. Or, they may be either considered one or both as runways or running boards. In any event, they facilitate the procedure of alighting as well as climbing insofar as the attendant is concerned. One might simply assume that the principal work of truckmen involves ascending and descending and shifting back and forth from front to back, and vice versa. So, the parts may be construed as ascending and descending steps or runways, as the case may be.

Construed along visual lines slightly different thanthose so far delineated, one might picture the structure (see Figure 2) as comprising forward and rear duplicate half sections with upper and lower steps joined by a central mudguard, the half-sections being substantially Z-shaped in cross section and the lower run having, along its outer edge, a depending lip forming the aforementioned skirt.

In View of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as hereing described and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A ready-to-install running board attachment of a length coextensive with the length of the floor of the bottlers truck on which it is adapted to be mounted for use comprising an elongated one-piece sheet material structure including a longitudinally bowed central portion constituting a mudguard for a coacting truck wheel and duplicated end portions located on and extending from opposite sides of said mudguard, an inner edge portion of said mudguard being adapted to rest, for support, on a coacting invention, what is edge of the floor of the truck body, said end portions being each longitudinally elongated and embodying vertically spaced members defining upper and lower running boards and an inclined web interconnecting said running boards, said end portions being substantially Z-shaped in cross section.

2. The structure specified in claim 1, wherein said attachment has the inner longitudinal edge portions of the upper running boards projecting 10 Y 1,932,327

in a manner to also rest on the stated truck floor and wherein the entire forward end portion is provided with angularly disposed integral flanges shaped to provide an adapter and designed to coact with and attach to members of the usual 15 bottle rack of said truck.

JOHN D. RUSS. LESLIE J. SPRUILL.

REFERENCES CITEI) The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

. UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 558,194 Miller Apr. 14, 1896 1,415,699 Porter May 9, 1922 1,729,956 McVeigh Oct. 1, 1929 Tatum Oct. 24, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,280 Great Britain May 15, 1913 461,131 Germany June 13, 1928 

